Early Model B-24 and P-40 March 23, 1941

[tulsaboy]

I can't imagine anyone on the board who might be interested in these (he says sarcastically, thinking specifically of Nathan) but I came across these shots in a scrapbook in the museum's collection. They highlight March 23, 1941, when the Army brought a brand new B-24 and 9 or so P-40s to Tulsa Municipal Airport to show to the public. First is the article that appeared in the Tulsa Tribune, followed by the photos. First the B-24. Is this an LB-30? It has British roundels, and sure looks like some of what Gary's done to 927. Gary, I sure hope that these photos wouldn't have been really, really helpful to you a year ago. I sure thought these were neat. Enjoy!

kevin

B-24












And now the P-40s.

[retroaviation]

Well, it's certainly one of the older sisters of Ol' 927. Ours was delivered from the factory on May 7, 1941, so this is a little early, but neat pictures. Those P-40s sure do look good!

Gary

[TAdan]

Wow, that article is pretty ominous.

Really great pictures Thanks!

I just cant get enough of those early P-40's.

[Steve Nelson]

"..nearly 150,000..jammed the municipal airport to see man's latest weapon to blow other men and women to pieces."

"The crowd which had at the airport Sunday morning to wait for the bomber was out for a thrill, but the thirll it recieved was different from what it anticipated. Its faces mirrored the change from high good humor, to a more sober, pit-of-the-stomach realization that the plane was not a bright, romantic vehicle of the clouds, but rather an ugly, terribly efficient instrument of death."

Yep..no bias or agenda there... I work for the so-called "liberal media," but that even strikes me as slanted! But I suppose it reflects the isolationism of the US at the time, and the reluctance to get involved in another "European" bloodbath.

Great pics, though!


SN

[tulsaboy]

Glad you all liked them. Steve, you're right- the article was an interesting read. I would guess that you're right about the emotion that it reflected at the time- few in the states anticipated or wanted to think about the oncoming conflict that now seems in hindsight to have been inevitable. At that point, in 1941, the Douglas-Tulsa bomber plant was under construction, so just a few hundred yards away that crowd could see a building almost a mile long that was going to pump out almost 1,000 of those "ugly" instruments of war. Surely some of them were looking over their shoulder, thinking about that.

And yes, Gary, those P-40s sure do look good!

kevin

[k5083]

Even the paint job got a pan: "Startled by its unhealthy green and yellow camouflage."

Ah, Tulsa, hotbed of liberal media, in 1941 just like now. Actually, it might be the most unbiased description of a B-24 ever published!

FWIW I still remember that my mother, when she saw her first B-24 around 1980 or so, reacted with exactly the same feelings of revulsion. It really does have an ugly, lethal appearance matched by few other planes of any era.

August

[Second Air Force]

Neat photos, Kevin.

That Liberator should be from the block AM258 through AM263, the first machines the RAF procured. I've always been a little confused about the designation given these first airplanes by the British, but they are usually called LB-30B. These first six were initially on the Air Corps books as YB-24s.

On the subject of the P-40s, do you have any photos of the P-40B or C at the Spartan Mechanic School apron? If not I have an image somewhere in a stack.

Scott

[tulsaboy]

Scott-

Yeah, I've got one. I'll find it and post it today.

kevin

[Django]

Those are neat to see.

[SaxMan]

"..nearly 150,000..jammed the municipal airport to see man's latest weapon to blow other men and women to pieces."

"The crowd which had at the airport Sunday morning to wait for the bomber was out for a thrill, but the thirll it recieved was different from what it anticipated. Its faces mirrored the change from high good humor, to a more sober, pit-of-the-stomach realization that the plane was not a bright, romantic vehicle of the clouds, but rather an ugly, terribly efficient instrument of death."

Yep..no bias or agenda there... I work for the so-called "liberal media," but that even strikes me as slanted! But I suppose it reflects the isolationism of the US at the time, and the reluctance to get involved in another "European" bloodbath.

Great pics, though!


SN

My thoughts are in agreement with yours, that the commentary in the article isn't part of a liberal anti-war slant as much as it was more from a conservative isolationist slant. In March 1941 war was something that was happening across the oceans and a plane like a B-24 (or LB-30) was perceived as an instrument to draw us into that war. Thankfully, there were people in important places who made sure that the assembly lines were underway for planes like the B-24 and B-17, because in 8 1/2 months after this article was written, we were going to need every single one of them.

It is, though, interesting to read that article in the context of our own times.

[CWBuff]

Resurrecting an old topic here... found this thread while researching a photo I picked up recently... 'tis the same one used in the newspaper article.


Project 914 Archives (S.Donacik collection)


Wonderful photos Tulsaboy!


Fade to Black...

[mustangdriver]

For some odd reason, it made me feel good to see Gary's post in here.

[Chappie]

Just like the early P-38s, those pointy-nosed P-40s are much better looking than later models.


Chappie

[Warbird Kid]

For some odd reason, it made me feel good to see Gary's post in here.

A pleasant eeriness to it. Gah I miss that guy. Back to the topic at hand, its great to see an additional shot from the same event! Kind of like a second window into it.

[RickH]

I didn't look at the dates of the earliest posts. As I worked down suddenly there was Gary, I had to do a quick check on the dates ! A voice from the past.....